Having said that though - I'm STILL in love with Sims 2. I'm also invested about $1000 into it. I've had to replace 8 of my EPs once because I had to have my computer wiped and cleaned and I'd given all of my EPs to my niece who lives out of state. I'm NOT complaining about how much I've paid into the Sims 2, but I'm saying since I've spent that much AND I'm still in love with the game - why rush into Sims 3?

I've said this before and I'll say it again - I plan on staying in the Sims 2 community for a long time. I've noticed that many beloved Sims 2 sites are drying up left and right.........it saddens me. I wish even if the creators didn't want to stick around - that they'd leave their sites or their sites content to people who still love Sims 2. I get attached to things and when I go to old haunts and they're gone it really saddens me.

I've taken the position that UNLESS the forum owner closes me down - I will NEVER just disappear on the Sims 2 community. I'd also like to extend offers to Sims 2 site owners who are THINKING about closing their doors. You can leave your stuff to us and we'll happily house it here for years to come.

Anyhoo........Sims 3 LOOKS AWESOME, but it will be a LONG time before I step through that door.

It's a shame so many site owners are just vanishing. Aren't there sites that specifically archive downloads from defunct sites? Couldn't they try to contact them and preserve their work?

I'm the same way I get attached to old places too and especially the people that frequented them. There are a lot of people I've 'met' online that have vanished over the years and I still wonder what happened to them and how they are. I've had sites or message boards that I've left behind, but I still couldn't bring myself to delete them completely, except when a host quit and deleted them for me.

I find it really sad because there has been some fabulous and beautiful work over the years in the Simming community and poof it's just gone. Witnessing this many times over - I just have made a firm decision to NEVER disappear like that. I've posted this before - but I mean it - IF one day I do not want to run the site anymore I will give notice. I will also offer the site to someone else IF they want to run it AND honor the members we have by being respectful to them. If no one wants it - I'll just leave it up and check in time to time to make sure everything's still running. THAT is a LONG ways off as I truly feel dedicated now, but I really want it known. I won't be here today and gone without a word Thursday.

If I could I would get it, but I'm afraid my laptop just isnt able to handle such a game. Also I'd hate to start any Sims game fresh, without downloads, custom clothing, houses and all that. When I got the Sims 2 it was on its third year anniversary, so obviously I had a large selection of custom downloads to choose from. And the thing I really hated about the Sims2 was the void it had with urban clothing and general content like make-up, hairstyles, skintones etc for darker coloured sims - only now has the urban content started to increase from other creators and myself. My 'urban revolution' for the Sims2 has only just begun, its still in the making and hopefully many years to come, I'm not going to abandon it anytime soon. I also think that with the use of custom content in the Sims 2, Sims are looking as realisitic as they can get, the Sims3 seems to be more cartoonish looking but I'm guessing the creators will fix that issue and make them even more realistic somehow.

In regards to the whole 'vanishing sites' thing The SimsCave is an awesome website for forum members that upload lost and forgotten about creations by small time creators and 'dead sites' that disappear into the air. I downloaded over 20 different posing animation hacky box things that I had no idea existed before until I discovered the website. I also found some cool clothing too.

Hunter, hope you don't mind, but I couldn't see starting my own thread just to say a few quick words about this subject.

For pretty much all the reasons (combined) that everyone has given here regarding purchasing The Sims 3 (eg still love playing and creating for Sims 2, don't like the way the Sims look in TS3, simply have no interest in investing more money on a game when I barely have time enough to play TS2 as it is, etc., etc), I will not be investing in Sims 3.At least, not anytime in the near future that I can foresee.And if I am reading correctly that we will not have the tools to create and/or recolor stuff for TS3, well ... one of my greatest joys is being able to do so for TS2. If I didn't have that option, and had to stick mostly with what Maxis offers ... BLEH! No thanks!

I was really bummed awhile back because another favorite site of mine was going to go by the way side due to Sims 3.

As it appears now on Simsewallz front page......

"After I played Sims 3 for several hours, I am already bored.Some things changed in Sims 2, others did not…I´m absolutely missing my stylish furniture, hip walls and trendy clothes!That nevertheless finally is, which brings the play fun and the alternation!As long as I cannot pimp the frumpy EA-style in Sims 3 into a modern one, it remains in the cabinet - and you will get more DLs for Sims 2 :)"

If you've never checked them out......might I recommend?

......the nails keep getting pounded into the coffin that is Sims 3. They were in a rush to release it and doing so it seems they released a product inferior to Sims 2.

I've never checked that site out. Thank you for sharing the link with us, Hunter.It's amazing, the negative feedback I'm hearing about Sims 3. And yet, some Simmers are enjoying it quite a bit.The folks over at The Corner seem to like it so far.

Some of us are hoping Sims 3 is just a passing phase. I still think the characters look horribly bloated and odd. They're too weird to look at as far as I'm concerned.

Perhaps Sims 3 is NOT going to be the game/wave of the future after all ... we shall see, won't we?Either way, I remain uninterested in it.

As a matter of fact, I'm about to install Apartment Life (FINALLY) in my main puter to check it out today.I'm really looking forward to it, especially since you said you really like what it brings to the game.My oldest daughter likes AL, too.

I am a newbie but i decided to jump in. I think some of the game play of sims 3 is intriguing. But I too think the sims look bloated and after reading up on meshing and recoloring its much more difficult and not very customizable. So I too will be sticking to Sims 2, There is so much more I want to create, plus my PC wouldnt handle it anyway.

So I too will be sticking to Sims 2, There is so much more I want to create...

I failed to mention that, too, but I was thinking it, Frogger.I just learned to use SimPE to recolor CC items.Previously, I was limited to recoloring only Maxis objects, because I had only been able to comprehend Wizards of SimPE.

I've found several generous meshers, such as yourself, who are so great about letting recolorists include your mesh in with our recolors, that I'll have enough to keep me busy for quite some time.As you know, it's hard to know where to start, when there are so many fabulous meshes out there worth recoloring!Like you, there's so much more I want to create for Sims 2. I feel as though I've only just begun!!!

Shouldn't Sims 3 be better than Sims 2? To me a lot of what is great and fun about Sims 2 is not in Sims 3. It is great to play the open neighborhood but the bad points outweigh the good too much to me.

I removed it from my PC and it will sit on a shelf until my husband puts it on Ebay.

And yes, you would think Sims 3 SHOULD be better than Sims 2.But many agree with you that it's NOT the case at all.

I wonder if it will be around long and if the reviews are still coming in mostly negative.Anyone read anything lately? I'm curious to know what the most recent reports are from the Simming community,as more people purchase the game.

Hunter, first thank you for recommending my site in this wonderful community

Meanwhile I've got a notion Sims 3 doesn´t admit that badly at first sight! Apparently it´s interesting to try it for a little time – so long how it´s new and exciting. You can even download some new patterns for your individual designs yet…

But then – after this little time - lots of people [mostly them who had their fun with creating and designing] are nevertheless rather disappointed - even for all these reasons, which were called before here.

As for me it´s a nice new way to recolor things directly in game but it´s really annoying to recolor every single item in your Sims 3 home!

I can't believe you posted that!!!Some site that features Sims 3 stuff was posting their new Sims today and I kept thinking, "UGH! I guess they must be used to the way they look, but I still think they're bloated and homely looking."They just are NOT attractive to my eyes whatsoever.

Did I remember to tell you that my oldest daughter received Sims 3 for her birthday in June?She installed it...tried it out...played it for a week or two...then uninstalled it.She asked if I wanted it. I promptly turned her down. I think if she can't give it away to a family member,she may end up selling her Sims 3 on EBay or something, Hunter!

I would certainly agree with you all that the faces and the bodies are ugly as sin. However, I do believe that the game is better in other aspects. I recently re-installed The Sims 2, and I found that I couldn't play it. Compared to The Sims 3, The Sims 2 is a very, very, limited game. I was shocked by how little I could actually do. So I guess if you're in it for the looks, The Sims 2 is the way to go. But if you're in it for the gameplay, I definitely have to argue that The Sims 3 is by far way better.

In fact, I've found that the only people who don't like The Sims 3 over The Sims 2 are those who are obsessed with designing things. The (ugly) truth is, The Sims 2 is disappearing, and The Sims 3 appears to be rising (according to sales).

I've been exposed to Sims 3 and I still like Sims 2 better - and I still play the game.

I also disagree with your stance about Sims 2 and people obsessed with designing things. A good number of my members who download my things to play in their game have been exposed to Sims 3, and prefer to play Sims 2. They're not creators either. Nor am I obsessed with creating.

I have nothing against people choosing to like Sims 2 or Sims 3 better - or people's opinions about the game - but I really don't appreciate or see the need for people's opinions about other players and how and what version of the game they decide to play. Do I think the Sims 3 are Fugly? Yep - but I don't think there's anything wrong with people who choose to play them over Sims 2 - I just choose not to.

As far as sales going down on Sims 2, I think maybe because it's that the Sims 3 is newer. Introduce a new Sims 2 expansion pack and see what happens.

I was lurking around the boards and saw this discussion. I couldn't resist adding my opinion.

I haven't played Sims 3 so I cannot really say that I don't like it, but I have seen people playing it on their laptops around my college campus. I've had many different opinions on the game.

Several students have said that they literally have installed the game, played it for an hour or so at least, then uninstalled it after they played. Most of them didn't like the game for the same reasons that most of these people have posted on here.

One of my friends plays the game with her boyfriend and absolutely loves it but she doesn't play just that game all the time.

Me, I've seen several of the reviews of the game before I even decided whether I want it or not and most of them have been very negative. Had EA Games been slower to release Sims 3 then they may have been able to actually produce a game that everyone would love. I don't like the look or the reviews that I've heard of the game so I'm going to stick with my Sims 2 games for awhile.